I’m trying to find the best band to see at the Capitol Hill Block Party on Saturday...the one artist I’ve never seen before, and shouldn’t miss while I have this golden opportunity.

That is, after all, the opportunity the Block Party affords to Seattle music fans – the chance to see dozens of great national bands, hip emerging acts and local standouts without leaving town.

I start from the top of the list, working my way down until it clicks: Handsome Furs. I’ve heard tons about this band, but never listened to their stuff.

I head over to Sub Pop’s website to see what I can find. The first song is “Cannot Get, Started.” It sounds kind of like Beck at first, but with more depth of subject matter and complexity to the vocals.

The next song, “What we Had,” adds all kinds of different dimensions. A Beck rip-off these guys clearly are not.

But can they pull this unique sound off live? Can the life and color I later heard on the band’s latest album, Sound Kapital, be matched with that intangible kind of stage charisma that makes a band truly great? Or will their performance sound just like their records do through my headphones?

Either way, I’m excited to see how the Montreal husband and wife duo pull it off. Even if they get up and just push play on their recordings I’ll be hard pressed not to dance.

It’s a shame that when they hit the stage it will still be daylight out, though. Eclectic, kitchen-sink electronic rock should be probably be consumed at night.

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